TIRANA, Albania: Albania’s Muslims are going through a very critical situation as sources have revealed that some publications and journalists in the country have been publishing anti-Islam articles and that the country's Islamic identity is at risk despite the fact that around 75 percent of the population is Muslim.

The papers continue to accuse Islam of being the source of terrorism. Among such publications are the "Gazeta Shgiptare" and "Koha Jone".

One of the writers, Kasetriot Myftaraj, has gone so far as to suggest that a law should be passed banning Islam from being practiced in the country.

The Muslims have now called upon the government to take legal action against the writer for making that suggestion which incites hatred against the Muslims. But the government has not taken any steps against him for it has repealed the very law that punishes anyone who incites hatred against members of other faiths.

Muslims do not have any political or governmental role.

At the same time the influence of Orthodox Church keeps on increasing in both the political and economic arenas. The same is the case with Albanians of Greek origin.

There is an Islamic organization that takes care of the religious affairs of Muslims such as the supervision of mosques and religious schools and the spread of religious enlightenment among the Muslims.

Muslims wanted to build a large mosque in the capital, Tirana, but it was not permitted and a huge cathedral is to be built thereon.

In this May, an Islamic Forum was set up here with the aim of confronting the wave of anti-Islamic sentiments, Islamophobia, and to defend the rights of the Muslims in this country.

One of the Albanian Muslim leaders has accused Muslim countries of ignoring the plight of his Muslim compatriots, who, he said, are generally very poor, but added that they will nevertheless continue to defend their faith and their inalienable rights, and that Allah is with them.